Oh no! My baby lost a wheel cover.

After only eight days, my car lost a wheel cover. Didn't hit any curbs or use a bumpy road. What could cause it to come off?

Now I know many don't like them, but I prefer them to the naked wheel?

Think the dealer will replace it free? If not, anyone know the cost?

Just a good excuse to get some good looking wheels.

But she is young and brand new, I do not want to change her yet.

New, I'm guessing $50 or so for a replacement. I highly doubt the dealer is going to replace it for free.

Why it came off? It probably wasn't snapped in all the way, or someone stole it.

eBay has them for much cheaper.

Just use your stock 15" wheels for winter tires. She may be new but she will only look better with nice wheels.

WHAAAT?? I can't believe you had to lose one That must stink! Sorry to hear that..

Quite a few members here have lost their wheel covers because they weren't properly snapped in. All Two-Four Prius are transported with the wheel covers off and dealers are to put them on upon arrival at destination, so if they neglected to snap them all the way in you're liable to lose them.

The wheel caps, even correctly snapped tight, will come off quite easily. I once made a tight turn onto a lot. One of the wheels mounted the curb. Somehow, I had the sixth sense and stopped the car immediately. I checked the wheel and found the wheel cap had gone. I walked back 30 yards where I mounted the curb and retrieved it.
From then on, I just pay extra attention when making tight turns.

You hit a curb? Yes, I'd expect any wheel covers to fly when hitting a curb.

OP, go back to the dealer and ask for an extra one. Chances are they didn't snap em in well enough. Not guaranteed, but worth a shot if you try to butter them up and explain that it was possibly their fault.

No, I don't think I hit curb.

Boy, I am so happy I am saving so much at the gas pump. Helps me pay for all the extras on my Prius.

In the end not a bad idea...

LOL, mounted the curb? like a 9.5 or 10 score?

Seriously, the alloys are awesome, I took the caps off after the first drive.
I would have done it at the dealer, but wanted to drive it soooo bad.

Also took off my PC after I got home (stock steel wheels) and my last car too.

Go to the dealer and ask? You never know until you ask.
Or if you dont want to pay full price, find them on craigslist or something
Sorry to hear you lost one without knowing, sucks.

In my old Baja, I think I mounted a curb at an 8 Had a scar to show for it on the alloy rim.

As an 2012 Prius owner, you know it is a love/hate relationship with the new black alloys on them. Silver alloys would be an easy choice.

Going to the dealer is an option. This is where the relationship with the dealer counts. Sad to say, but those that try for the lowest price on the car sometimes loose out.

Not sure if the caps on the 2012's are different from older models; but checking out junk yards could be an option.

To Steve the OP: not sure if you have a regular route that you travel. But it might be worth the effort to retrace your travels to see if you can find the missing cap. I know I would be ticked if I lost mine.

Sorry. I was addressing toyolover. In your case, I think the dealer simply didn't snap it all the way in. I'd go back to the dealer and see if they'd replace it one time courtesy.

Know that feeling all too well with my +2k miles in just under 2 months. My fiancé is loving my new ride. long road trips are as comfortable as my old Baja. Under $30 for a road trip to the DE shore was icing on the cake for him.

Looks like more road trips are in the future, given so few days off we get together - and we are not punished in his Yaris, as we did in the past.

It's a Toyota thing. My wife's Sienna lost a wheel cover shortly after we got it; I lost one on the Prius a couple weeks ago.

But it gets funny. I had had a flat, put the spare on, got the tire fixed. That weekend took the car in for an oil change and wheel rotation. A couple of days later noticed that the hubcap was missing on that tire, which was now the right rear.

Cursed my luck, double checked the other hubcaps and found another that wasn't on all the way; probably the tire rotation guys. Checked with them the next day, no, they didn't have one lying around. Went to a local dealer and got a new hubcap.

So, heading home the next day along the usual windy road that I take, thinking about that hubcap, and noticed a hubcap off in the weeds. Wait - was that a Prius hubcap!?!

Narrow road, windy, high banks, dangerous. Went up a mile, turned around, drove back - yep, there it was. Pulled off into a driveway a hundred yards up, walked back facing traffic. Yeah, it was a Prius hubcap. Snagged it, took it home, and there it sits.

So, was it mine? Some other Prius's? Guess I got a spare until next time.

KBeck.

An insight on those that said that they fell on their ass taking the caps off on getting to the alloy wheel look..